Drop kick: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 03:27, 24 January 2006 editQutezuce (talk \| contribs)13,755 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit		Latest revision as of 20:52, 12 December 2024 edit undoCitation bot (talk \| contribs)Bots5,430,660 edits Alter: template type, title. Added newspaper. Removed parameters. Some additions/deletions were parameter name changes. \| Use this bot. Report bugs. \| Suggested by Jay8g \| #UCB_toolbar
(578 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{Short description\|Type of football kick}}
	:''For a move in ], see ].''
			{{About\|the type of play in various codes of football\|the professional wrestling maneuver\|Dropkick\|other uses}}
	A '''drop kick''' involves someone dropping a ball and then ]ing it when it bounces off the ground. It contrasts to a ] wherein the dropper kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first.
			A '''drop kick''' is a type of ] in various codes of ]. It involves a player intentionally dropping the ball onto the ground and then ] it either (different sports have different definitions) 'as it rises from the first bounce' (])<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.world.rugby/the-game/laws/definitions#laws_let4 \|title=Law definitions \| World Rugby Laws }}</ref> or 'as, or immediately after, it touches the ground' (]).<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rulebook/# \|title=2023 NFL Rulebook \| NFL Football Operations }}</ref>

			Drop kicks are used as a method of restarting play and scoring points in ] and ]. Also, ] ] often return the ball to play with drop kicks. The kick was once in wide use in both ] and ], but it is rarely used anymore in either sport.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=What happened to the drop kick?\|url=https://www.afl.com.au/video/32505/myth-breakers-what-happened-to-the-drop-kick\|access-date=2021-05-02\|website=afl.com.au\|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|date=2006-01-01\|title=Patriots' Flutie converts first drop kick since 1941\|url=https://africa.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2277308\|access-date=2021-05-02\|website=ESPN.com\|language=en}}</ref>

	== Rugby football ==		== Rugby football ==
			]]]
	In ] and ], a drop kick is used to restart play and to score a ].

			=== Drop kick technique ===
	Drop kicks are used in rugby union:
			{{See also\|Drop goal}}
	*from the centre spot to start a half
			The drop kick technique in rugby codes is usually to hold the ball with one end pointing downwards in two hands above the kicking leg. The ball is dropped onto the ground in front of the kicking foot, which makes contact at the moment or fractionally after the ball touches the ground, called the ''half-volley''. The kicking foot usually makes contact with the ball slightly on the instep.<ref>, Archive.today. Retrieved 11 October 2007.</ref>
	*from the centre spot after points have been scored
	*for a 22-metre drop-out when the ball is touched down or made dead in the in-goal area by the defending team, the attacking team having kicked or taken the ball into the in-goal area.
	*from a penalty kick to score a penalty goal or after a try to score a conversion, although the option of a place kick is usually taken instead.

			In a rugby union kick-off, or drop out, the kicker usually aims to kick the ball high but not a great distance, and so usually strikes the ball after it has started to bounce off the ground, so the contact is made close to the bottom of the ball.
	In rugby league, a drop-out ensues from underneath the posts on the goal line when:
	*the defending team forces the ball in the in-goal area
	*the defending team is tackled or knocks on in the in-goal area
	*the defending team causes the ball to go dead orn into touch-in-goal.
	A drop-out from the 20 metre line ensues when:
	*an unsuccessful penalty goal attempt goes dead or into touch-in-goal.

			=== Rugby league ===
	In each game, a player may attempt to score a goal from open play by drop kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the posts. A goal scored this way is called a dropped goal, abbreviated to "drop goal" in speech. A dropped goal scores three points in rugby union but only one point in rugby league, where the option is usually only taken late in a tied game.
			In ], drop kicks are mandatory to restart play from the goal line (called a goal line drop-out) after the defending team is tackled or knocks on in the in-goal area or the defending team causes the ball to go dead or into ]. Drop kicks are also mandatory to restart play from the 20 metre line after an unsuccessful penalty goal attempt goes dead or into touch-in-goal and to score a ] (sometimes known as a field goal) in open play, which is worth one point.<ref name="league">{{cite book
			\|url=http://www.rlef.eu.com/rugby_laws_book2004.pdf
			\|title=The International Laws of the Game and Notes on the Laws
			\|chapter=Section 6: Scoring
			\|date=2004-03-11
			\|publisher=]
			\|access-date=2007-09-12
			\|page=14
			\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070919201722/http://www.rlef.eu.com/rugby_laws_book2004.pdf
			\|archive-date=2007-09-19
			\|url-status=dead
			}}</ref>

			Drop kicks are optional for a penalty kick to score a penalty goal (this being done rarely, as place kicks are generally used) and when kicking for touch (the sideline) from a penalty, although the option of a punt kick is usually taken instead.
	== American and Canadian football ==

			=== Rugby union ===
	In both ] and ], one method of scoring a ] or ] is by '''drop-kicking''' the football through the goal.
			{{main\|Drop kick (rugby union)}}
			In ], a drop kick is used for the kick-off and restarts and to score a ] (sometimes called a field goal). Originally, it was one of only two ways to score points, along with the ].

			Drop kicks are mandatory from the centre spot to start a half (a kick-off), from the centre spot to restart the game after points have been scored, to restart play from the 22-metre line (called a drop-out) after the ball is touched down or made dead in the in-goal area by the defending team when the attacking team kicked or took the ball into the in-goal area, and to score a drop goal (sometimes called a field goal) in open play, which is worth three points.<ref name="union">{{cite web
	The drop kick was often used as a surprise tactic. The ball would be snapped or ] to a back, who would perhaps fake a run or pass, but then would kick the field goal instead.
			\|url = http://www.irb.com/mm/Document/LawsRegs/0/070110LGLAW09red_662.pdf
			\|title = Law 9: Method of Scoring
			\|work = Laws of the Game
			\|publisher = International Rugby Board
			\|year = 2007
			\|access-date = 2007-09-12
			\|url-status = dead
			\|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071022213228/http://www.irb.com/mm/Document/LawsRegs/0/070110LGLAW09red_662.pdf
			\|archive-date = 2007-10-22
			}}</ref>

			Drop kicks are optional for a conversion kick after a try has been scored. As in rugby league this is done rarely, as place kicks are generally used.
	This method of scoring worked well in the ] and ], when the football was rounder at the ends (similar to a modern rugby ball). Early football stars such as ] and ] were skilled drop-kickers.

			=== Rugby sevens ===
	In 1934, the ball was made more pointed at the ends. This made passing the ball easier, as was its intent, but made the drop kick obsolete, as the more pointed ball did not bounce up from the ground reliably. The drop kick was supplanted by the place kick, which cannot be attempted out of a formation generally used as a running or passing set. The drop kick remains in the rules, but is seldom seen, and rarely effective when attempted.
			The usage of drop kicks in ] is the same as in rugby union, except that drop kicks are used for all conversion attempts and for penalty kicks, both of which must be taken within 40 seconds of the try being scored or the award of the penalty.<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Dwyer \|first1=Lexi \|title=7 things to know about Rugby Sevens at the Summer Olympics \|url=https://www.today.com/news/rugby-sevens-olympics-t101199 \|access-date=12 March 2023 \|work=TODAY.com \|date=9 August 2016 \|language=en \|quote="in Sevens, drop-kicks replace place-kicks for all conversion attempts, and must happen within 40 seconds (instead of one minute)."}}</ref>

			==Gridiron football==
	The only execution of the drop kick in recent years in the ] was by ], reserve ] of the ], against the ] on ], ] for an ] after a touchdown. It was not a strategic move but was used as a (possible) farewell gesture for Flutie by New England coach ]. This was the first successful drop kick in the NFL in the over 64 years since it was executed by ] of the ] in their 37-9 victory over the ] on ], ] in the ] game at Chicago's ].
			In both ] and ], one method of scoring a ], ] (American <!--football-->only), or ] is by drop-kicking the football through the goal, although the technique is very rarely used in modern play.<ref name="The NFL Rules for Drop Kicks">{{cite web \|url=https://www.sportsrec.com/nfl-rules-drop-kick-6747197.html\|publisher=SportsRec.com \|title= NFL Rules for Drop Kicks \|author=Jennifer Mueller \|access-date= 2021-06-05 \|date=2010-07-18}}</ref>

			] drop kicking]]
	Prior to Flutie's historic drop-kick, the only recent vocal proponent of the drop-kick in the NFL had been ], quarterback for several NFL teams. During the 1980s, while playing in Chicago, McMahon regularly practiced the drop kick, and was known to frequently petition ] head coach ] for an opportunity to use the maneuver. Ditka, who regarded the play as an ], never allowed it.

			It contrasts with the ], wherein the player kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first, and the ], wherein the player kicks a stationary ball off the ground: "from placement". A drop kick is significantly more difficult; as ] explained in 1926 when both kick types were common, "I regard the place kick as almost two to one safer than the drop kick in attempting a goal from the field."<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2874126/the_ogden_standardexaminer/\|author=Billy Evans\|author-link=Billy Evans\|date=December 3, 1926\|page=19\|access-date=July 24, 2015\|via=]\|work=The Ogden Standard-Examiner\|title=Place Kick Is best Method For Point}} {{Open access}}</ref>
	Exclusively in Canadian football, the drop kick can be attempted beyond or behind the line of scrimmage. Any player on the kicking team behind the kicker, and including the kicker, can recover the kick. A drop kick that goes out of bounds is considered a change of possession.

			]'s drop kick, the sole score as ] defeats ] 3–0 in ]]]
	Druing one game in the 1980's ] wide receiver ] was unable to field properly a punt and in frustration he kicked the ball out of bounds. The kick was considered a drop kick and it led to a change of possession and the team that punted regained possession of the ball.

			The drop kick was often used in early football as a ]. The ball was ] or ] to a back, who faked a run or pass, then drop-kicked a field goal attempt. This method of scoring worked well in the 1920s and early 1930s, when the <!--foot-->ball was rounder at the ends, similar to a modern ].
	The drop kick is most often used as a desperation play at the end of a game.

			Early football stars<!-- such as--> Thorpe, ], ], ], and ] were skilled drop-kickers; Driscoll in {{nfly\|1925}} and Bloodgood in {{nfly\|1926}} hold a tied NFL record of four drop kicked field goals in a single game.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/release.jsp?release_id=1481 \|title=Release » The last dropkick \|publisher=Profootballhof.com \|access-date=2013-10-02}}</ref> Driscoll's 55-yard drop kick in {{nfly\|1924}} stood as the unofficial record for ]<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/01-07-011.pdf \|title=The Coffin Corner : Vol. No. 7 (1979) – A Closer Look: 50-yd DKs \|publisher=Profootballresearchers.org \|access-date=2013-10-02 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004232951/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/01-07-011.pdf \|archive-date=2013-10-04 }}</ref> until ] kicked a 56-yard field goal (by placekick) in {{nfly\|1953}}.
	== Arena football ==

			The ball was made more pointed at the ends in {{nfly\|1934}}; this change is generally credited to ], a college football official at the time, and later the NFL's head of officiating.<ref name=BS>{{cite news\|title=Pro Football To Honor Ray: Rules Advisor's Ideas Gave Game Needed Boost\|author=Seymour Smith\|newspaper=The Sun (Baltimore)\|date=September 14, 1966\|page=C4\|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7676652/pro_football_to_honor_ray/}}</ref> This made passing the ball easier, as was its intent, but made the drop kick almost immediately obsolete, as the more pointed ball did not bounce up from the ground reliably. The drop kick was supplanted by the place kick, which cannot be attempted out of a formation generally used as a running or passing set. While it remains in the rules, the drop kick is seldom seen, and as explained below, is rarely effective when attempted.
	In ] a drop-kicked extra point counts for two points rather than one; a drop-kicked field goal counts for four points rather than three. Seemingly the game's inventors hoped that a team trailing by four points on an apparent final play might attempt a very dramatic drop kick in order to tie the game. However, the additional incentive has not been enough of an enticement to produce many drop kicks after the first few years of Arena play. The absence of drop-kicking from any other level or variety of gridiron football in the present day means that there is no pool of experienced and capable drop kickers for the Arena league to draw from, and the play would in any event occur too seldom to seem to be worth the amount of practice time that would have to be devoted to it for it to be executed at any real level of proficiency; in practice a pass off of the rebound nets above the endlines which, if completed, would result in six points and a win for the team down by four points, rather than a tie and overtime, probably has at least an equal and possibly a superior chance of success.

			In Canadian football, there are no formal restrictions on the circumstances under which a drop or a place kick can be attempted.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://cfldb.ca/rulebook/ \|title=The official playing rules for the Canadian Football League 2023 \|publisher=cfldb.com \|access-date=2023-12-11}}</ref>
	== Australian Rules football ==

			=== NFL ===
	In ], a similarly named and executed kick was used in general play, particularly after a free kick was awarded.
			] preparing to drop kick]]
	It was popular as players could kick the ball long distances, and the ball's backwards rotation was reasonably easy for teammates to catch (a major feature of the game).
			Since 1941, the only successful drop kick for points in the NFL was by ], the backup ] of the ], against the ] on January 1, 2006, for an extra point after a touchdown. Flutie, 43 at the time, was given the opportunity to make a historic kick in what was his last play in the NFL. Flutie estimated he had "an 80 percent chance" of making the drop kick.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web\|last=Ulman \|first=Howard \|url=http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060102/NEWS/601020380/1002/SPORTS \|title=Dolphins Win Sixth Straight Despite Flutie's Drop Kick \|publisher=TheLedger.com \|access-date=2013-10-02}}</ref>

			The last successful drop kick before 2006 in the NFL was executed 64 years earlier in {{nfly\|1941}}, on an ] by ] of the ], against the ] in the ] at Chicago's ] on December 21. The last drop kick for a ] was a nine-yarder by player-coach ] of the ] in {{nfly\|1937}} against the ] on September 19.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal\|last=Gonsalves\|first=Rick\|year=2000\|title=The Lost Skill of Drop Kicking\|url=http://profootballresearchers.com/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/22-05-864.pdf\|journal=The Coffin Corner\|volume=22\|issue=5\|via=Professional Football Researchers Association}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2015/12/the-last-dropkick/ \|title=Drop It Like Its Hot \|website=Pro Football Hall of Fame \|date=December 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name=clldlio>{{cite news \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zG5WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ueMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4505%2C1770162 \|work=Spokesman-Review \|location=(Spokane, Washington) \|agency=Associated Press \|title=Clark leads Lions \|date=September 20, 1937 \|page=9}}</ref><ref name=pltcb>{{cite news \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9nJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ekADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3130%2C2946169 \|work=Ludington Daily News \|location=(Michigan) \|agency=Associated Press \|title=Packers lose to Chi Bears, 14-2 \|date=September 20, 1937 \|page=6}}</ref> The ] (AAFC) saw its last successful drop kick in ], when ] of the ] drop kicked an extra point after a muffed snap in a 31–28 home loss to the undefeated ] on November 28.<ref name=bbump>{{cite news \|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WpJRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WWoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4246%2C6362040\|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette \|agency=Associated Press \|title=Browns bump 49ers to win West title, 31-28\|date=November 29, 1948 \|page=20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\| url=http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/01/29/a_get_rich_kick_scheme_fails/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+New+England+Patriots+news \| work=The Boston Globe \| title=A get-rich kick scheme fails \| date=January 29, 2006 \| first1=Ron \| last1=Borges}}</ref>
	A variation known as the ''stab pass'' or more poetically, the ''daisy cutter'', involved an abbreviated follow-through and travelled on a notably low trajectory, which made it very useful for short-range passing.

			Still rarely but more commonly, kickers have attempted drop kicks from kick-offs or free kicks, especially in the case of onside kicks. ] kicker ] took an onside drop kick on a free kick against the ] on October 30, {{nfly\|2011}}.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/33071567 \|title=Polamalu punch vs. Patriots was illegal \|publisher=CBSSports.com \|access-date=2013-10-02 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005000814/http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/33071567 \|archive-date=2013-10-05 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|last=England \|first=New \|url=http://musketfire.com/2011/10/30/patriots-steelers-studs-duds/ \|title=Patriots-Steelers Studs & Duds – Musket Fire – A New England Patriots Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and more \|newspaper=Musket Fire \|date=2011-10-30 \|access-date=2013-10-02}}</ref> ] punter ], an Australian punter who considered himself more adept at drop kicking than place kicking, has drop kicked both kick-offs and onside kick-offs when called on to serve as back-up kicker.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/12/26/seahawks-comfortable-with-michael-dickson-drop-kicking-pats-or-fgs/\|title = Seahawks comfortable with Michael Dickson drop-kicking PATs or FG\|website=Profootballtalk.nbcsports.comS\|date = 27 December 2018}}</ref> In 2019, ]' kicker ] drop-kicked a short, high kick-off against the ] with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter to force a fair catch and prevent the Chiefs from ]; it was later confirmed that this kick was illegal, as Tucker had kicked the ball not immediately after it bounced, but rather after it had bounced and reached the apex of its rebound.<ref>{{cite web\|first=John\|last=Breech\|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-bans-ravens-crazy-kickoff-dropkick-after-watching-baltimore-use-it-just-one-time/\|title=NFL bans Ravens' crazy kickoff dropkick after watching Baltimore use it just one time\|work=CBS Sports\|date=October 10, 2019\|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref>
	The drop kick and stab pass gradually disappeared from the game by the ], as it was unreliable, particularly on wet grounds, and players were coached to always use the ] kicking style to avoid having to make a decision on what kind of kick to perform.

	==~~See~~ ~~also~~==		=== NCAA ===
			The last successful drop kick extra point in the NCAA was by Jason Millgan of ] on December 11, 1998, ].<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVi6LBcTLOw \| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205223739/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVi6LBcTLOw\| archive-date=2013-12-05 \| url-status=dead\|title=Hartwick College ESPN Drop Kick Field Goal \|publisher=YouTube \|access-date=2013-10-02}}</ref> ] of ] made 17 drop kicks in one game in 1924.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.msubobcats.com/sports/2012/7/26/GEN_0726122140.aspx \|title=BOBCAT ATHLETIC TRADITIONS \|access-date=August 9, 2016 \|publisher=msubobcats.com \|url-status=bot: unknown \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809215242/http://www.msubobcats.com/sports/2012/7/26/GEN_0726122140.aspx \|archive-date=August 9, 2016 }}</ref>
	* ]

			=== Arena football ===
			In the former ], a drop-kicked extra point was worth two points, rather than one point, while a drop-kicked field goal counted for four points rather than three.<ref> {{webarchive \|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225033049/http://www.arenafootball.com/about/afl-rules.html \|date=December 25, 2014 }}</ref> The most recent conversion of a drop kick was by Geoff Boyer of the ] on June 16, 2012; it was the first successful conversion in the AFL since 1997.<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://thealbanyjournal.com/2011/06/a-drop-kick-into-history/ \|title=A drop kick into history\|first=Tom \|last=Knighton\|website=Thealbanyjournal.com\|date=June 23, 2011}}</ref>
			In 2022, ] kicker Jimmy Allen successfully converted three drop kick PAT attempts against the ] in a ] game.<ref>{{Cite web \|title= Champions Indoor Football\|url=https://cif.prestosports.com/sports/fball/2021-22/players/jimmyallenvu8d?view=gamelog&pos=pts}}</ref> Allen also converted a drop kick PAT playing for the Iowa Barnstormers in the ] during a game against the Colorado Crush during a 2016 game.<ref>{{Cite web \|title= \|url=https://goifl.com/boxscore.aspx?id=ZFozhBpRGwrsYlUeG3xE1Hn95ESa6qIFhCkFwTqzTR9OinoGaQzCYUDu3digJMm7QtOLA8qf0N8BudxbpDhOXa7aXIIR4y6tDmMoqwTgJR%2BGmVcMwd%2BW8pKB%2FiTzo0jJAFIb58J0JrYy1Df522fLZ6pBu%2BJPgo1bt6qvwpc7mRepiOWewgqSJ0AYK8RDJr36zgUHuatNC%2FJ%2BG12yTL%2BKWA%3D%3D&path=football}}</ref> In 2018, ] kicker Henry Nell converted a drop kick as a PAT against the ] in the ].<ref>{{cite news\|last=Garven\|first=Rich\|url=https://www.telegram.com/news/20180513/massachusetts-pirates-savor-ot-win-over-maine-mammoths\|title=Massachusetts Pirates savor OT win over Maine Mammoths\|newspaper=]\|date=May 13, 2018\|access-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref>

			== Australian rules football ==
			Once the preferred method of conveying the ball over long distances, the drop kick has been superseded by the ] as a more accurate means of delivering the ball to a fellow player.<ref>{{cite news\|title=Future direction of an evolving art form\|first=Andrew\|last=Faulkner\|newspaper=]\|date=11 June 2011\|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/future-direction-of-an-evolving-art-form/story-e6frg7t6-1226073279442}}</ref> Drop kicks were last regularly used in the 1970s, and by that time mostly for ] and very rarely in general play.<ref name="dropkick">{{cite news\|newspaper=]\|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC\|title=The kick that got the boot\|date=20 July 2003\|access-date=4 October 2020\|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-kick-that-got-the-boot-20030720-gdw2rc.html}}</ref> AFL historian and statistician ] believes that ] was the last player to kick a ] goal with a drop kick, in ], although goals in general play from a drop kick do occur on rare occasions, including subsequent goals by players such as ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web \|title=What happened to the drop kick? \|url=https://www.afl.com.au/video/32505/myth-breakers-what-happened-to-the-drop-kick \|access-date=2022-08-21 \|website=afl.com.au \|language=en}}</ref>

			Hutchison says drop kicks were phased out of the game by ] in defence due to their risky nature; ], a player Smith coached, took this onboard for his own coaching career, banning it for all but ], who, according to Hutchison, was a "magnificent disposer of the ball". Similarly, in 1971, under ] coach ], Williams had a rule that nobody playing in his side could do a drop kick. However, according to teammate ], after Ebert kicked a couple of goals in a game with a drop kick, Williams acknowledged Ebert's skill and made a special dispensation for him—and him alone.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022-06-14 \|title=SA football icon Russell Ebert now a Hall of Fame Legend \|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/776056/sa-football-icon-russell-ebert-now-a-hall-of-fame-legend \|access-date=2024-09-20 \|website=afl.com.au \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media \|url=https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSAdelaide/videos/869578387049803/ \|title=Remembering Russell, a 7NEWS special: Celebrating football legend Russell Ebert's life {{!}} Remembering Russell: 7NEWS Adelaide pays tribute to one of South Australian sport's greatest names and a man who, off the field, inspired us to help... {{!}} By 7NEWS Adelaide {{!}} Facebook \|language=en \|access-date=2024-09-20 \|via=www.facebook.com}}</ref>

			== See also ==
			* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
			* ]

			== References ==
			{{Reflist\|30em}}

			== Further reading ==
			*{{cite news \|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/31/sports/15-years-ago-doug-flutie-did-something-nfl-hadnt-seen-six-decades-it-was-perfect-capper-an-unorthodox-career/ \|title=The inside story of Doug Flutie's NFL drop kick, 15 years ago Friday \|first=Christopher \|last=Price \|website=] \|url-access=limited \|date=December 31, 2020 \|access-date=January 1, 2021}}

			{{Gridiron football plays}}
			{{Australian rules football terminology}}

	]		]
	]
	]
	]		]
			]
			]

			]

Latest revision as of 20:52, 12 December 2024

Type of football kick This article is about the type of play in various codes of football. For the professional wrestling maneuver, see Dropkick. For other uses, see Drop kick (disambiguation).

A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player intentionally dropping the ball onto the ground and then kicking it either (different sports have different definitions) 'as it rises from the first bounce' (rugby) or 'as, or immediately after, it touches the ground' (gridiron football).

Drop kicks are used as a method of restarting play and scoring points in rugby union and rugby league. Also, association football goalkeepers often return the ball to play with drop kicks. The kick was once in wide use in both Australian rules football and gridiron football, but it is rarely used anymore in either sport.

Rugby football

Drop kick technique

Rugby league

In rugby league, drop kicks are mandatory to restart play from the goal line (called a goal line drop-out) after the defending team is tackled or knocks on in the in-goal area or the defending team causes the ball to go dead or into touch-in-goal. Drop kicks are also mandatory to restart play from the 20 metre line after an unsuccessful penalty goal attempt goes dead or into touch-in-goal and to score a drop goal (sometimes known as a field goal) in open play, which is worth one point.

Drop kicks are optional for a penalty kick to score a penalty goal (this being done rarely, as place kicks are generally used) and when kicking for touch (the sideline) from a penalty, although the option of a punt kick is usually taken instead.

Rugby union

Main article: Drop kick (rugby union)

In rugby union, a drop kick is used for the kick-off and restarts and to score a drop goal (sometimes called a field goal). Originally, it was one of only two ways to score points, along with the place kick.

Drop kicks are mandatory from the centre spot to start a half (a kick-off), from the centre spot to restart the game after points have been scored, to restart play from the 22-metre line (called a drop-out) after the ball is touched down or made dead in the in-goal area by the defending team when the attacking team kicked or took the ball into the in-goal area, and to score a drop goal (sometimes called a field goal) in open play, which is worth three points.

Drop kicks are optional for a conversion kick after a try has been scored. As in rugby league this is done rarely, as place kicks are generally used.

Rugby sevens

The usage of drop kicks in rugby sevens is the same as in rugby union, except that drop kicks are used for all conversion attempts and for penalty kicks, both of which must be taken within 40 seconds of the try being scored or the award of the penalty.

Gridiron football

In both American and Canadian football, one method of scoring a field goal, fair-catch kick (American only), or extra point is by drop-kicking the football through the goal, although the technique is very rarely used in modern play.

It contrasts with the punt, wherein the player kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first, and the place kick, wherein the player kicks a stationary ball off the ground: "from placement". A drop kick is significantly more difficult; as Jim Thorpe explained in 1926 when both kick types were common, "I regard the place kick as almost two to one safer than the drop kick in attempting a goal from the field."

Charles Brickley's drop kick, the sole score as Harvard defeats Dartmouth 3–0 in 1912

The drop kick was often used in early football as a surprise tactic. The ball was snapped or lateraled to a back, who faked a run or pass, then drop-kicked a field goal attempt. This method of scoring worked well in the 1920s and early 1930s, when the ball was rounder at the ends, similar to a modern rugby ball.

Early football stars Thorpe, Charles Brickley, Frank Hudson, Paddy Driscoll, and Al Bloodgood were skilled drop-kickers; Driscoll in 1925 and Bloodgood in 1926 hold a tied NFL record of four drop kicked field goals in a single game. Driscoll's 55-yard drop kick in 1924 stood as the unofficial record for field goal range until Bert Rechichar kicked a 56-yard field goal (by placekick) in 1953.

The ball was made more pointed at the ends in 1934; this change is generally credited to Shorty Ray, a college football official at the time, and later the NFL's head of officiating. This made passing the ball easier, as was its intent, but made the drop kick almost immediately obsolete, as the more pointed ball did not bounce up from the ground reliably. The drop kick was supplanted by the place kick, which cannot be attempted out of a formation generally used as a running or passing set. While it remains in the rules, the drop kick is seldom seen, and as explained below, is rarely effective when attempted.

In Canadian football, there are no formal restrictions on the circumstances under which a drop or a place kick can be attempted.

NFL

Since 1941, the only successful drop kick for points in the NFL was by Doug Flutie, the backup quarterback of the New England Patriots, against the Miami Dolphins on January 1, 2006, for an extra point after a touchdown. Flutie, 43 at the time, was given the opportunity to make a historic kick in what was his last play in the NFL. Flutie estimated he had "an 80 percent chance" of making the drop kick.

The last successful drop kick before 2006 in the NFL was executed 64 years earlier in 1941, on an extra point by Ray McLean of the Chicago Bears, against the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game at Chicago's Wrigley Field on December 21. The last drop kick for a field goal was a nine-yarder by player-coach Dutch Clark of the Detroit Lions in 1937 against the Chicago Cardinals on September 19. The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) saw its last successful drop kick in 1948, when Joe Vetrano of the San Francisco 49ers drop kicked an extra point after a muffed snap in a 31–28 home loss to the undefeated Cleveland Browns on November 28.

Still rarely but more commonly, kickers have attempted drop kicks from kick-offs or free kicks, especially in the case of onside kicks. Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski took an onside drop kick on a free kick against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 30, 2011. Seattle Seahawks punter Michael Dickson, an Australian punter who considered himself more adept at drop kicking than place kicking, has drop kicked both kick-offs and onside kick-offs when called on to serve as back-up kicker. In 2019, Baltimore Ravens' kicker Justin Tucker drop-kicked a short, high kick-off against the Kansas City Chiefs with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter to force a fair catch and prevent the Chiefs from running out the clock; it was later confirmed that this kick was illegal, as Tucker had kicked the ball not immediately after it bounced, but rather after it had bounced and reached the apex of its rebound.

NCAA

The last successful drop kick extra point in the NCAA was by Jason Millgan of Hartwick College on December 11, 1998, St. Lawrence University. Frosty Peters of Montana State College made 17 drop kicks in one game in 1924.

Arena football

In the former Arena Football League, a drop-kicked extra point was worth two points, rather than one point, while a drop-kicked field goal counted for four points rather than three. The most recent conversion of a drop kick was by Geoff Boyer of the Pittsburgh Power on June 16, 2012; it was the first successful conversion in the AFL since 1997. In 2022, Salina Liberty kicker Jimmy Allen successfully converted three drop kick PAT attempts against the Topeka Tropics in a Champions Indoor Football game. Allen also converted a drop kick PAT playing for the Iowa Barnstormers in the Indoor Football League during a game against the Colorado Crush during a 2016 game. In 2018, Maine Mammoths kicker Henry Nell converted a drop kick as a PAT against the Massachusetts Pirates in the National Arena League.

Australian rules football

Once the preferred method of conveying the ball over long distances, the drop kick has been superseded by the drop punt as a more accurate means of delivering the ball to a fellow player. Drop kicks were last regularly used in the 1970s, and by that time mostly for kicking in after a behind and very rarely in general play. AFL historian and statistician Col Hutchison believes that Sam Newman was the last player to kick a set-shot goal with a drop kick, in 1980, although goals in general play from a drop kick do occur on rare occasions, including subsequent goals by players such as Alastair Lynch and Darren Bewick.

Hutchison says drop kicks were phased out of the game by Norm Smith in defence due to their risky nature; Ron Barassi, a player Smith coached, took this onboard for his own coaching career, banning it for all but Barry Cable, who, according to Hutchison, was a "magnificent disposer of the ball". Similarly, in 1971, under Port Adelaide coach Fos Williams, Williams had a rule that nobody playing in his side could do a drop kick. However, according to teammate Brian Cunningham, after Ebert kicked a couple of goals in a game with a drop kick, Williams acknowledged Ebert's skill and made a special dispensation for him—and him alone.

References

"Law definitions | World Rugby Laws".
"2023 NFL Rulebook | NFL Football Operations".
"What happened to the drop kick?". afl.com.au. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
"Patriots' Flutie converts first drop kick since 1941". ESPN.com. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
"Kicking: The Drop Kick", Archive.today. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
"Section 6: Scoring". The International Laws of the Game and Notes on the Laws (PDF). Rugby League International Federation. 2004-03-11. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-19. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
"Law 9: Method of Scoring" (PDF). Laws of the Game. International Rugby Board. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
Dwyer, Lexi (9 August 2016). "7 things to know about Rugby Sevens at the Summer Olympics". TODAY.com. Retrieved 12 March 2023. in Sevens, drop-kicks replace place-kicks for all conversion attempts, and must happen within 40 seconds (instead of one minute).
Jennifer Mueller (2010-07-18). "NFL Rules for Drop Kicks". SportsRec.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
Billy Evans (December 3, 1926). "Place Kick Is best Method For Point". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. p. 19. Retrieved July 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
"Release » The last dropkick". Profootballhof.com. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
"The Coffin Corner : Vol. No. 7 (1979) – A Closer Look: 50-yd DKs" (PDF). Profootballresearchers.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
Seymour Smith (September 14, 1966). "Pro Football To Honor Ray: Rules Advisor's Ideas Gave Game Needed Boost". The Sun (Baltimore). p. C4.
"The official playing rules for the Canadian Football League 2023". cfldb.com. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
Ulman, Howard. "Dolphins Win Sixth Straight Despite Flutie's Drop Kick". TheLedger.com. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
Gonsalves, Rick (2000). "The Lost Skill of Drop Kicking" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. 22 (5) – via Professional Football Researchers Association.
"Drop It Like Its Hot". Pro Football Hall of Fame. December 6, 2015.
"Clark leads Lions". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. September 20, 1937. p. 9.
"Packers lose to Chi Bears, 14-2". Ludington Daily News. (Michigan). Associated Press. September 20, 1937. p. 6.
"Browns bump 49ers to win West title, 31-28". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 29, 1948. p. 20.
Borges, Ron (January 29, 2006). "A get-rich kick scheme fails". The Boston Globe.
"Polamalu punch vs. Patriots was illegal". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
England, New (2011-10-30). "Patriots-Steelers Studs & Duds – Musket Fire – A New England Patriots Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and more". Musket Fire. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
"Seahawks comfortable with Michael Dickson drop-kicking PATs or FG". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.comS. 27 December 2018.
Breech, John (October 10, 2019). "NFL bans Ravens' crazy kickoff dropkick after watching Baltimore use it just one time". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
"Hartwick College ESPN Drop Kick Field Goal". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2013-12-05. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
"BOBCAT ATHLETIC TRADITIONS". msubobcats.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Rules of the Game Archived December 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
Knighton, Tom (June 23, 2011). "A drop kick into history". Thealbanyjournal.com.
"Champions Indoor Football".
https://goifl.com/boxscore.aspx?id=ZFozhBpRGwrsYlUeG3xE1Hn95ESa6qIFhCkFwTqzTR9OinoGaQzCYUDu3digJMm7QtOLA8qf0N8BudxbpDhOXa7aXIIR4y6tDmMoqwTgJR%2BGmVcMwd%2BW8pKB%2FiTzo0jJAFIb58J0JrYy1Df522fLZ6pBu%2BJPgo1bt6qvwpc7mRepiOWewgqSJ0AYK8RDJr36zgUHuatNC%2FJ%2BG12yTL%2BKWA%3D%3D&path=football. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
Garven, Rich (May 13, 2018). "Massachusetts Pirates savor OT win over Maine Mammoths". Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
Faulkner, Andrew (11 June 2011). "Future direction of an evolving art form". The Australian.
"The kick that got the boot". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. 20 July 2003. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
"What happened to the drop kick?". afl.com.au. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
"SA football icon Russell Ebert now a Hall of Fame Legend". afl.com.au. 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
Remembering Russell, a 7NEWS special: Celebrating football legend Russell Ebert's life | Remembering Russell: 7NEWS Adelaide pays tribute to one of South Australian sport's greatest names and a man who, off the field, inspired us to help... | By 7NEWS Adelaide | Facebook. Retrieved 2024-09-20 – via www.facebook.com.

v t e Australian rules football terminology
Skills	Clanger Handball Kick after the siren checkside punt drop kick drop punt grubber place kick punt set shot snap up and under torpedo punt Kick-in Mark Mark of the Year spectacular mark One percenter Running bounce Shepherd Tackle chicken wing tackle fend-off spear tackle
Free kicks	50-metre penalty Coathanger Deliberate out of bounds Holding the ball Holding the man Push in the back
Scoring	Behind (rushed behind) Goal coast-to-coast goal Goal of the Year super goal
Other	Ball-up Banner Father–son rule Flooding Guernsey Laws Names Positions Priority draft pick Rookie list Time-on Umpire Footy gods